How should i react to Anger

1. How should I react to Anger? – 3rd
April 2016
“Refrainfrom anger andturn from wrath; do not fret—itleadsonly to evil”.(Psalm37:8)
Angerisa strongfeelingof displeasure orhostility. Everybodyhastodeal withangerfromtime totime.
But what’s the bestwayto handle it?To answerthat question,we mustfirstunderstandwhatanger
reallyis.Angerisan emotionoftencharacterizedbyfeelingsof greatdispleasure,indignation,hostility,
wrath andvengeance.Manytimes,reactinginangerishow we expressourdissatisfactionwithlife.It’s
definedinthe Greeklanguage asthe strongestof all passions.Angerbeginswithafeelingthat’soften
expressedinwordsoractions.We feel somethinganditcausesa reaction fromwithinus.The degree of
the angry reactiondefersfromsituationstosituation.
How muchcontrol do we reallyhave?Whydo reactionsvaryso widelybetweenpeopleorevendayto
day forthe same person?Andwhatare the benefitsanddrawbacksof expressing anger?Understanding
angerin all itsformsand passions,fromannoyance toirritationtorage,can make a big difference.
Understandingandtypecastingangeristhe difficultthing. Somehow if we learntocontrol anger, we
learnto take a stepback and process thispowerful andcomplicated andmostlyunwanted emotion. In
the bible we see thatGod doesnotrecognize anger amongus.There is nothingcalled righteous anger
and otherformsof anger.Angerisa negative traitandis counterproductive to Godsdecree for
righteousness. We canlearninJamesgospel: Thisyouknow, my belovedbrethren. But everyone must
be quick to hear, slowto speak and slowto anger; for the anger of man doesnot achieve the
righteousnessofGod. James 1:19-20.
Jesushasinstructsus aboutanger,and His commandcarrieswithita greatsense of urgency:Firstwe
needtosoughtout the matter thatis causinganger!We can readin the gospel of Matthew "Therefore,
if youare offeringyourgift at the altar andthere remember that your brother hassomethingagainst
you,leave your gift there in front ofthe altar.First go andbe reconciledto your brother; then come
and offeryour gift.Matthew 5:21-26, Paul,alsocommandsus to deal withourangerpromptly;it
soundsverymuchlike Jesus'command:“Inyour anger do not sin:Do notlet the sun godown while
you are still angry”. (Ephesians4:26),
Both these twopassagesinstructChristianstohandle angerquickly.We are notto letangersit and
fester,where itwill doubtlesslycause greaterproblemsdownthe road.Takentogetherwiththe first
passage quoted,all three warnusto handle angerverycarefully,asangercanfrequentlybe inherently
destructive.There canbe nodenyingthatangeris verypowerful.Thispoweriswhatleadstoits
incrediblepotential fordestruction.Sowhatare Christianstomake of anger,and how are we to handle
it?
A quicklookat angeritself mightprove instructive. AsChristianwhenwe are facedwithangeritshould
immediatelycautionusand desire forchange. Thisputsangerintoa perspective where itcanbe
mastered,insteadof allowingittomasterus. RememberingGodteachingsforuswhen becomingangry,
to stopand think:Whyam I becomingangry?Whatis itabout thissituationthatIwishwasdifferent?
Whenwe give into anger,we oftenfocuson our ownwelfare,comfortorhappinessandmostlythrough

2. pride.Instead,we shouldbe primarilyconcernedaboutotherpeople’swelfare andbeingagoodwitness
for God.We can understandthat God doesnot want us to simplyreact emotionally to others'actions.
Instead,we shouldrespondwithwisdomandagentle spirit.
More importantly, whenwe getangry we canlearn as statedin James1 we “mustbe quickto hear,
slowto speakand slowto anger”. Becausethis adviceallowsusthe viewpointtolistencarefully,
examine ourselves, whichwillleadingtoquestionslike, isthisareal problem, isitsomethingtoget
angry about,or am I becomingangrybecause of myreactionto it?What, if anything,canI do to change
thissituation?
Yes youcan as a Christian. Mostimportantly, we needtotrain ourselvestothink asa Christian. God
requiresustobe a lightonto the world. Whenwe feel angerricing,immediately we shouldlearnto
activate self-controlandthen askthe bigquestions:Whatdothe Scripturessayabout thiskindof
problem?One maysaythat one may not be able to avoidgettingangry…butthatisthe difference we
needtowork towardsinachieving.We needtostopas we start to feel angerdevelopinginus andask
yourself:HowdoesGodwantme to react?How can I letmy lightshine inthis situationas taughttous
by Jesus?Wasmy reaction inwinninginthe shorttermworththe possible consequencesonthe long
term?Am I actingwithinthe will of God?Thisexercise maybe difficultinitially,butif one consciously
worksat it withGod as the priority,thiscanbe achieved! AssaidinJamesgospel,"Man'sangerdoes
not bringabout the righteouslifethat God desires" (James1:20).
How should I react to Anger?

3. “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—
it leads only to evil” (Psalm 37:8)